Channels

Peres along northern border
Photo: Avihu Shapira
Photo: Reuters
Hizbullah supporters in Lebanon
Photo: Reuters

Peres downplays claims Hizbullah strengthened

Vice premier says organization's presence in southern Lebanon is merely political

Vice Premier Shimon Peres on Tuesday downplayed military assessments that Hizbullah has managed to fully recover its strength after last summer's war with Israel, charging that the Shiite group's presence in southern Lebanon was barely political.

 

"Hizbullah has not returned to the full strength it had last summer and all we can see are attempts by (Hizbullah leader Hassan) Nasrallah to spit on the United Nations and its resolutions," Peres said during a tour of Israel's border with Lebanon.

 

Peres said however that Israel should remain alert for possible attacks on its northern border, but stressed there is no need for alarm.

 

"I know of no army in the world that doesn't err. But the real test is whether the same army knows also to fix the mistakes and I believe in our case this is happening," said Peres who was accompanied by Northern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.

 

Peres' heavily guarded convoy drew the attention of curious Lebanese citizens who gathered on rooftops to inspect fleet of cars and military vehicles.

 

Peres said that Hizbullah flags hoisted near the border are no evidence that the guerilla group has a military presence in southern Lebanon, dismissing the phenomenon as "political flags."

 

"The Lebanese people are angry at Nasrallah because they understand the size of the damage he had brought upon them. Hizbullah and Nasrallah have no freedom of movement between the Litani River and the border and its important to note that might is no measured by arms only," he said.


Peres meeting IDF soldier along northern border (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

 

On Tuesday, an senior Military Intelligence officer told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Hizbullah managed to fully recover in the seven months since the end of last summer's war with Israel.

 

'Regime change in Iran'

Eizenkot acknowledged that the situation along the border is complex but said the impact of 34 days of fighting on the capabilities of the Shiite group were evident on the ground.

 

Lebanese army and international peacekeeping forces were deployed in southern Lebanon where Hizbullah roamed freely in accordance with Security Council resolution 1701, which put an end to the fighting.

 

"Hizbullah's outposts have been destroyed. The international peacekeeping force and the Lebanese Army have been deployed," he said.

 

Eizenkot however deplored the ongoing smuggling of arms from Syria into Lebanon. "There are arms smugglings which contravene UN Resolution 1701 and we are warning about that all the time," he said.

 

Asked about the standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions, Peres said there are two ways to deal with the issue: military action or dealing with the Ayatollahs' regime.

 

"My hope is that as in the case of North Korea, international pressure and sanctions will bring about a regime change in the country," Peres said.

 

He shunned questions about his presidential candidacy, saying he will issue a formal statement on the issue shortly before the presidential race kicks off in four months.

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.20.07, 14:25
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment